Favorite Fighter sourcebook?

[johnsemlak]

Please post suggestions on your favorite fighter or fighter-type sourcebooks (Rangers, Paladins, Barbarians, Samurai, etc). In addition to books detailing feats, skills, prestige classes, alternate core classes, etc, I'd like to include books devoted to weapons.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that the fighter is the most essential class of all, there seem to be relatively few works available.

Note that I would prefer to keep the Monk separate.

The following is as list of sourcebooks I've found on the net. Post your comments or suggest other works. I'll add to the list as per your suggestions.


Books devoted to fighter-type classes

Sword and Fist, WotC
Masters of the Wild, WotC
Defenders of the Faith, WotC
The Quintessential Fighter, Mongoose
Upcoming Mongoose products: The Quintessential Ranger, Paladin, Barbarian, Samarai, + Power Classes II: The Gladiator)
Crusades of Valor, Mongoose (Sourcebook on knights and holy wars)
The Way of the Samurai, AEG
Masters of Arms, SWS
Path of the Sword, FFG
Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves, BAG (Dwarf sourcebook, with info on Dwarven fighters)
Heroes of High Favor: Half-Orcs, BAG (with info on Half-Orc barbarians)



Books devoted solely to arms and armor

Arms and Armor, Bastion
Arms and Equipment Guide, WotC (upcoming)
Castellan, Book I: Ancient and Medieval Soldiers and their Weaponry, TLG
Worlds Most Complete D&D Arms and Equipment Guide, Kenzer


Also, if you haven't done so, check out my thread on favorite wizard/arcane magic sourcebook and favorite rogue/bard sourcebooks.

 

[2WS-Steve]

Not to undercut my own book here (Masters of Arms) but Path of the Sword by FFG is another of the well-designed fighter books. Fortunately I've got no self-control so I can say buy 'em all; I did...

 

[Krug]

Not to undercut my own book here (Masters of Arms) but Path of the Sword by FFG is another of the well-designed fighter books. Fortunately I've got no self-control so I can say buy 'em all; I did...

You a Microsoft stockholder or something?

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Hey now... Let's not forget Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves.

Every book in the series covers a different race and their favored class. If you are playing a dwarven fighter of any kind, it's worth $10 bucks to pick this one up!

And of course, there is stuff in there for fighters of any race.

Same can be said of Half-Orcs/Barbarians. The Half-Orcs book will be on shelves in October.

Products:
http://www.badaxegames.com/html/products.html

ENworld Reviews:
http://www.enworld.org/d20reviews.asp?sub=yes&where=publist&which=Bad+Axe+Games


Wulf

 

[Tsyr]

Path of the Sword, no question. Masters of Arms*, Masters of the Wild, and Way of the Samurai are all tied for second.


*Based soley on the review here, no less... it sounds so great!

 

[Crothian]

Path of Swords is the best book devoted to the fighter. Quint Fighter is good as well. The wizard books are all okay, MotW is the best of the bunch. HoHF: Dwarves is a pretty solid book. It is dwarf oriented, but many of the things can be used by any race and class with a fighting theme.

 

[MEG Hal]

Mystic Warriors also a fighter themed book is available from Mystic Eye Games...........

 

[novyet]

#1 Path of the Sword, this is an excellent book, covering just about everything a fighter or fighting class could want, with cool flavor text to boot!

#2 Is a tie, between Rokugan, Way of the Samurai, and Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves, Rokugan for it's technique feats, and rocking kiho, Way of the Samurai for it's styles and more techniques, and Heroes of High Favor for it's awesome look at playing dwarves, and custom masterwork section. (although let me just say it was a pain to buy it, because every store sold out of it here. Oy. Great Job Wulf!)

#3 Is also a tie, between Sword and Fist and Quintessential Fighter, Both solid books to steal from, but nowhere near the usefulness in my opinion of the others.

Just my opinions, so obviously YMMV

 

[HellHound]

Way of the Sword is my fave.

I would point at Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves - but it's more a Dwarf book than a fighter book. But a VERY GOOD dwarf book at that.

 

[tsadkiel]

Masters of Arms has seen more use in my campaigns than any of the others listed. (Which is natural, I suppose - we did playtest for it.) It is different from most fighter books, though - it doesn't provide much flavor on a conceptual level, but provides bucketloads of flavor in actual combat. The MoA prestige classes are very skilled, but that skill isn't expressed in plusses to hit and damage; it's expressed in a wider variety of tactical options. This does mean that combat loses some of its abstraction, which can be good or bad, depending on your point of view.